Tournament anglers in Wisconsin can now upgrade their bag.
Anglers fishing in bass tournaments with Wisconsin DNR permits will now be allowed to cull fish in their live well. This legislation was recently signed into law and went into effect Tuesday. It allows tournament anglers to continue fishing after they have caught their limit. If a larger fish is caught, they can release a smaller one and upgrade their bag.
The Republican sponsored law is not without controversy. Opponents say culling could cause pressure on local bass populations. Culling is not allowed in most walleye tournaments due to the more fragile nature of the walleye. But there is no scientific evidence of tangible damage to bass fisheries due to culling. Most studies found around 1% delayed mortality after bass tournaments when culling was allowed. Most serious tournament anglers fish from the latest and greatest boats. Live wells on these boats have automatic aeration systems that continuously supply oxygenated water.
Others say it’s not fair that everyday anglers are not allowed to cull while “a privileged few†are. They believe we are selling off the rights to our resources for tourist dollars. Isn’t that what the DNR does every time they sell a hunting or fishing license? The species that need to be protected are protected by the DNR, others are simply managed. In lakes and rivers hosting major tournaments bass are managed. Many tournaments offer to stock these waters as a gesture of goodwill to the host city. Most are turned down because there is no real need to stock. The fish are already abundant.
Proponents say culling is needed to compete with surrounding states for major bass tournaments which generate big revenue for the host. Tournament sanctioning bodies B.A.S.S. and FLW have already chimed in with their support of the new law. Neither have conducted a tournament in Wisconsin since a brief moratorium on the ban was in place to study culling in Wisconsin a handful of years ago.
The bottom line is there are arguments on both sides. But in this case economics wins the day. The science doesn’t back up the opposition either.
For those who disagree, there are rays of light on the horizon. Immediate release tournaments are gaining popularity. They have been the norm in musky tournaments for some time. The AIM Pro Walleye Series was founded on what they call Catch-Record-Release or CRR. Tournament anglers photograph each legal sized walleye caught on a special ruler and immediately release the fish. The weight of the fish is determined by tournament officials using a mathematical formula. This isn’t a small time tournament series either. The biggest names in walleye fishing including Tommy Skarlis, Gary Parsons, and Keith Kavajecz regularly fish the tour. Brett King of Claremont, MN won the most recent event and took home a $40,000 cash prize.
One of the big advantages of the CRR format is that the biggest bag always wins. During traditional tournaments on lakes such as Mille Lacs with slot limits in place, anglers often release fish that can’t go the scales due to the slot. This is not an issue for an immediate release tournament. These types of tournaments are also allowed to hold tournaments during summer months when the risk of delayed mortality is highest. Since the fish are immediately released, there is little impact.
While many of the issues surrounding tournament walleye angling don’t apply to bass fishing, what we are seeing on the AIM Pro Walleye Series could be the future of tournament fishing across the board.
